Depending on your current year, a coach or officer may be in contact with you.

Who are we?

UCSB Rowing is one of the fastest intercollegiate club rowing programs in the country. Rowers from UCSB have won national championships and several of our alumni have competed in the Olympics. Almost all of these individuals learned to row at UCSB.

The UCSB Rowing team was founded by students in May 1965, and members of the team began racing the following school year. UCSB Rowing is part of UCSB Recreational Sports and competes successfully as a club against varsity and club programs across the country. Crews compete at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Championships, American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships, San Diego Crew Classic and other large regattas nationwide.

Training for UCSB Rowers is split between an on-campus ergometer room in Rob Gym and water practices on Lake Cachuma in the Santa Ynez Valley. The boat house is home to our racing fleet including twelve Vespoli and Resolute eights, eight Vespoli fours and an armada of small boats and sculls.

The rowing team is made of two squads each for men and women: Novice and Varsity. Novice athletes are first year rowers while varsity rowers have rowed at least one year in college. Most practices for novice rowers will be in the afternoon and on campus.

Prior Rowing Experience Not Required

While an athletic background is certainly helpful, no previous rowing experience is necessary to try out for the UCSB Rowing program. In fact, our most successful athletes excelled in other sports like swimming, soccer, water polo, volleyball, lacrosse, and cross country in high school. Additionally, there are members of the team who were not involved in athletics before college.

While it can be an advantage to be tall in rowing, good competitive athletes come in all shapes and sizes. We certainly recruit for taller athletes but a love of competition is required to row at UCSB and smaller athletes should not be discouraged from trying out.

We hold interest meetings for new students at the beginning of fall quarter on Campus and in Isla Vista. Anyone interested in trying out should attend one of these meeting times below:

Sunday, September 30th 2018 at 7pm in Life Sciences 1001

Monday, October 1st 2018 at 7pm in IV Theater 2

Tuesday, October 2nd 2018 at 7pm in Rec Cen 1501

Monday, October 8th 2018 at 7pm in Rec Cen 1501

Please note that locations are subject to change. Stay tuned to our website or social media for updates.

Practice Times for First-Year Rowers

For Novice Men:

Monday and Wednesday in Rob Gym room 2109 from 6:00-7:25am, 7:25-8:50pm, or 2:15-3:45pm. PICK ONE TIME per day.

Tuesday and Thursday at the Campus Lagoon from 6:00-7:25am, 7:25-8:50am, or 2:15-3:45pm. PICK ONE TIME per day.

Friday in Rob Gym room 2109 from 3:00-4:30pm.

For Novice Women:

Monday and Wednesday at the Campus Lagoon from 6:00-7:25am, 7:25-8:50pm, or 2:15-3:45pm. PICK ONE TIME per day.

Tuesday and Thursday in Rob Gym room 2109 from 6:00-7:25am, 7:25-8:50am, or 2:15-3:45pm. PICK ONE TIME per day.

Friday in Rob Gym room 2109 from 7:00-7:50am, 8:00-8:50am, or 2:00-2:50pm.PICK ONE TIME.

What should I do before I try out for the team?

It is not necessary to do any special training or rowing before trying out for the team. All the novice athletes will be starting out together so just arrive in good health and ready to learn.

Two things you should do prior to try outs:

Please read the information on this web page regarding eligibility, admissions assistance, and athletic scholarships, (the latter two are not available for rowing at UCSB). Financial support to offset dues is available through UCSB Rowing’s Webster Mentorship Program (see below for more details).

Plan to attend one of our informational meetings held during the first two weeks of school. Look for advertisements around campus and on the on the front page of the website. If you have any questions contact the Women’s Coach, or the Men’s Coach.

Eligibility and Athletic Requirements

UCSB Rowing is open to all academically-eligible, full time undergraduate students at UCSB. First year graduate students may be able to compete under the American Collegiate Rowing Association rules. Non-students are not eligible to compete. The best time to join the team is early in the fall quarter of your freshman year, however academically eligible sophomores and upperclassmen may also join in the fall.

Rowing Program Funding Sources

Member Participation Fees: Additionally, quarterly participation fees are paid by each team member. As UCSB Rowing is not an intercollegiate sport, no athletic scholarships are available. Financial aid information is available on the UCSB Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship web page at http://www.finaid.ucsb.edu/.

The UCSB Rowing Webster Mentorship Program: Thanks to the generosity of former rower Alec ‘76 and Claudia Webster’75, and the Helen and Will Webster Foundation, team members have a source of funding to help offset the expense of their quarterly dues by mentoring school age children in the Santa Barbara Community. Rowers volunteer in a variety of different settings, including elementary school classrooms, one-on-one tutoring sessions, high school mentor groups, and youth sports programs.

Varsity applications for the Webster Mentorship Program are accepted in September and novice applications in January. Click here. to review the application. For more information about the program contact mike.homes@recreation.ucsb.edu.

UCSB Admissions InformationIntent to row in college does not merit special consideration from the Admissions Office.

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Check out your next #SeniorSpotlight, Ari Linley! Ari is the men’s V8 coxswain, she is majoring in the History of Art and Architecture and hails from San Diego, California🐻. She is… https://t.co/QeUnFZYHPq